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User blog:Brandon Rhea/DSTG Recap: William Shatner
Captain on the bridge! One of the highlights of any Star Trek convention is getting to see the original Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner. Day 2 of [[Destination Star Trek Germany|Destination Star Trek Germany]], attended by Wikia's German team, was no exception, when Bill took the stage to talk about his life and Star Trek. Between stories about meeting Koko the gorilla, the sad loss of Bill's doberman Mocha, and how much he loves all animals, Bill broke the ice before moving into questions. Bill is often asked about whether he will ever reprise his role as James T. Kirk, a trend that continued on Saturday. He talked about the new movies and how talented he thinks director J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness) is, and while Bill acknowledged that there are always possibilities for how the original Kirk could return, even after his death in Star Trek Generations, he stated that it would likely not happen. After all, Captain Kirk won't return for just a brief cameo, and the time for a major role for the original captain has passed. Does Bill feel any responsibility for Star Trek? No, but that doesn't mean he doesn't admire it a great deal. Bill admires the ideals of Star Trek, ones that tell people to live and let live—because nothing is more dangerous to the world than conflict. They not only shorten the lives of those fighting in them, Bill said, but also the lives of everyone and everything due to pollution, exploitation of resources, and all the other terrible things that can happen when we don't put aside our differences and work together. Now, as any William Shatner fan knows, he's a Rocket Man (a Rock.et.MAAAAAN)—he sings! Well, maybe not so much singing, but he has a unique style of speaking lyrics in a musical fashion, one of the most famous being his spoken-word and, for lack of a better term, Shatner-esque dramatic rendition of the famous song "Rocket Man." But what about recent musical endeavors? Bill recently released "Pondering the Mystery," a collaboration with Billy Sherwood. He even has hopes to go on tour with the album. What's interesting is that Bill enjoys singing despite thinking he can't sing, but somehow he makes it work anyway. Perhaps because he's William Shatner? What Bill really enjoys is Twitter, particularly engaging with his fans. Being able to tweet has even helped him book a guest on his show, "Shatner's World." He had arranged a charity show at which singer Wynonna Judd was to appear, but she had to cancel her events. Via Twitter, Bill was able to book her for an appearance on the show in April. While I myself wasn't there in Germany to see Bill (the notes for this recap were sent by ElBosso of Wikia Germany), I was able to see him at the Las Vegas Star Trek convention this past August, and it is always a treat. He's funny, energetic, and loves talking to the fans, so if you haven't seen him in person before, I hope this recap makes up for it even a tiny bit. What's your favorite William Shatner memory? Tell us about it in the comments below! Category:Blog posts Category:Destination Star Trek Germany